Next year, 2012 will mark the 100th anniversary of the sinking of “Titanic” and many events are planned to remember this tragedy.

Many events planned to remember the tragedy, all over the world. Does that sound a little strange to you?

Why such a fascination with this occasion? Over the past thousands of years there’ve been countless numbers of ships lost to the oceans and seas; so why does the sinking of the Titanic plays such an important role in our history? And why should it be celebrated?

More than likely had a lot to do with the wealth represented on that maiden crossing. It was the first time in modern history of the sinking vessel affected the rich and powerful on such a large scale on both the old and new continent.

It is also possible that these amazing ships were to usher in a new age of luxury liners that were considered extremely safe. According to an article written in a shipbuilding magazine, “the Olympic and Titanic are so well designed that they are practically unsinkable”

This seems to me, the night the largest moving object in the world sank; the end of the period of innocents began and cast a dark shadow over the Western world.

With over 1500 souls were lost the night of April 15, 1912, I like to think this tragedy, as horrible as it was, has provided some positive outcomes

Let me share with you a few examples:

The lifeboats. While the Titanic and her sister ship, Olympic, were being built in Belfast, Alexander Carlisle, Harland and Wolff’s general manager and chairman of the managing directors, suggested that Titanic use a new, larger type of lifeboat crane which could give the ship the potential to carry 48 lifeboats. This would have provided enough seats for everyone on board. However, the White Star Line decreed that only 20 lifeboats would be carried, which could accommodate only 52% of the people aboard.

So why would they do this?

At the time, the British Board of Trade’s regulations stated that British vessels over 10,000 tons must carry 16 lifeboats with a capacity of 5,500 cubic feet, plus enough capacity in rafts and floats for 75%, unless, the vessel had watertight bulkheads. In that case only 50% capacity was necessary.

Therefore, the White Star Line actually provided more lifeboat accommodation than was legally required. The regulations made no extra provision for larger ships because they had not been changed since 1894, when the largest passenger ship under consideration was only 13,000 tons.

On the night of the sinking, Titanic’s lifeboat complement was made up of three types of boats. The most numerous were the 14 standard wooden lifeboats, with a capacity of 65 persons each. Forward of them, one on each side of the ship, two smaller emergency boats, had a capacity of 40 persons each. Four Englehardt collapsible lifeboats that had a capacity of 47 persons each; they had canvas sides, and could be stowed almost flat, taking up a comparatively small amount of deck space. Two were stowed port and starboard on the roof of the officers’ quarters, at the foot of the first funnel, while the other two were stowed port and starboard alongside the emergency cutters.

After the Titanic disaster, recommendations were made by both the British and American Boards of Inquiry stating, in part, that ships would carry enough lifeboats for those aboard, mandated lifeboat drills would be implemented.

Many of these recommendations were incorporated into the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea passed in 1914.

If you have taken a cruise, you know that the lifeboat drill still mandatory today and in many cases is your first social activity after boarding the ship.

24 hour radio watch and distress rockets acts were incorporated. This act, along with the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, stated that radio communications on passenger ships would be operated 24 hours along with a secondary power supply, so as not to miss distress calls. Also, the Radio Act of 1912 required ships to maintain contact with vessels in their vicinity as well as coastal onshore radio stations

In addition, it was agreed an the International Convention that the firing of red rockets from a ship must be interpreted as a distress signal. This decision was based on the fact that the rockets launched from the Titanic prior to sinking were interpreted with a bit of ambiguity by the freighter S.S. Californian. Officers on the Californian had seen rockets fired from an unknown liner from their decks, yet surmised that they could possibly be “company” or identification signals, used to signal to other ships. At the time of the sinking, aside from distress situations, it was commonplace for ships without wireless radio to use a combination of rockets and Roman candles to identify themselves to other liners. Once the Radio Act of 1912 was passed it was agreed that rockets at sea would be interpreted as distress signals only, thus removing any possible misinterpretation from other ships.

Another innovation was the International Ice Patrol. After the disaster, the U.S. Navy assigned two ships to patrol the Grand Banks for the remainder of 1912. In 1913, the patrol duties were turned over to the Revenue Cutter Service (forerunner of the United States Coast Guard).

Again, at the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea in London, a treaty was signed that resulted in the formation and international funding of the International Ice Patrol, an agency of the United States Coast Guard that to the present day monitors and reports on the location of North Atlantic Ocean icebergs that could pose a threat to transatlantic sea traffic.

Since the mid 1940s, ice patrol aircraft became the primary ice reconnaissance method with surface patrols phased out except during unusually heavy ice years or extended periods of reduced visibility. The aircraft has distinct advantages for ice reconnaissance, providing much greater coverage in a shorter period of time.

A further change was ship designs. Following the tragedy, ships were refitted for increased safety. For example, the double bottoms of many existing ships, including the RMS Olympic, were extended up the sides of their hulls, above their waterlines, to give them double hulls. Another refit that many ships underwent was changes to the height of the bulkheads. The bulkheads on Titanic extended 10 feet (3 m) above the waterline. After the Titanic sank, the bulkheads on other ships were extended higher to make the compartments fully watertight.

These are changes and modifications are probably responsible for the lives of thousands upon thousands the last century, so I see there were some positives that came out of one of the worst maritime disasters of all time.

On a personal note, the Titanic disaster has affected my life immensely. This happened in 1996 wells working is a tour guide in Halifax, Nova Scotia. An attempt was going to be made to raise a part of Titanic’s midsection and the number of ships were making their way out to the site were Titanic sank. One of the ships was a cruise ship full Titanic enthusiasts and madeHalifaxa port of call before sailing to watch the attempted raising.

Halifax does have a connection with the Titanic disaster as 150 of the recovered victims were buried in the city. I was contracted as a guide to offer a city tour and was honoured to have two survivors, Edith Brown Haisman & Michel Navrital on the tour.

It may sound a little strange, but spending time with them literally changed my life. But that is a story for another time.

So is it all right to be celebrating the anniversary of the Titanic disaster; I say yes. It is important remember history and learn so we are not destined to make the same mistakes again.

I’m going to be celebrating the anniversary by spending time in Ireland and Halifax, for many the beginning and the end of that fateful journey.

We at Rhapsody Tours have designed a trip “Ireland, the birthplace of Titanic” tour that will be taking place next year. To find out more information about this tour visit us as Rhapsodytours.net.

If you have any stories, questions or events about Titanic Anniversary and would like to share or for that matter any travel related themes you would like discussed; send them off to us. We will read the all and post our favorites.

We would love to see any comment or tips you may have and I encourage you to subscribe below.

I found this article today when I opened my emails from, TravelIndustryToday.com, and I have to admit it ticked me off. This is a US phenomenon but it does have world wide ramifications. I would love to hear what you think!

TRAVELLERS DONT GET IT

No need to pass it on

26 July 2011: (Updated) When the US Congress let funding expire for the Federal Aviation Administration on Friday, thousands of employees were laid off. But here’s the really interesting part. The FAA can’t collect taxes on airline tickets, so they had to roll back taxes on jet fuel. Will passengers benefit from the tax holiday? We’re talking airlines, folks, what do you think?
The expired taxes would have saved customers from 12% to 15%, or at least US$36 on a $300 round trip ticket, said Rick Seaney, CEO of the travel Web site FareCompare.com.

But why pass it on? Before midnight Friday, most major US carriers quickly raised their fares by that equivalent amount.

“They’re like lemmings all jumping off the cliff together,” Seaney said.

Currently Alaska Airlines and Spirit Airlines have not hiked fares and have passed the savings to travellers.

Virgin America were good guys over the weekend, but yesterday morning crossed over, and hiked prices in pretty well all markets except those where they compete with Alaska on the West Coast.

Ticket taxes are tucked into the fare and rarely noticed by consumers. On domestic tickets, there’s a 7.5% federal excise tax plus a $3.70 per segment flat fee. The taxes support federal aviation infrastructure. There is also an international arrival and departure tax of $16.30 each way that cannot be collected, but is undoubtedly being charged in the now upgraded prices.

ARTA Canada suggests that it is unclear at this point whether refunds should be requested from the ticketing carrier or directly from the US Internal Revenue Service (IRS). They “recommend holding off on any refunds until the refund process is made clear.

“It should be pointed out that if the US Congress subsequently agrees to extend the FAA Reauthorization, the taxes above would be reinstated and further refunds may not apply.” Says an ARTA statement.

Other taxes on tickets, such as airport facility charges and the Transportation Security Administration’s screening fees are still being collected.

If you have any stories, questions or events about airline taxes and would like to share or for that matter any travel related themes you would like discussed; send them off to us. We will read the all and post our favorites.

We would love to see any comment or tips you may have and I encourage you to subscribe below.

Jet Lag! I have jet lag. It is going to ruin my vacation, is there any way to stop this from happening?

Over the last two decades I have heard this over and over again from travellers beginning their trip.

How about your own experience, does this sound familiar to you?

You have been planning your trip for six months; you are excited and pumped up about your vacation. You fly across a number of time zones only to arrive at your destination…exhausted! What is the first thing you do?

Take a nap!

The rest of your stay you find yourself waking in the middle of the night and then dropping of to sleep during the afternoon. Eventually, your body clock starts to adjust, just before you head home. You spend the next week getting back to your normal sleep routine.

If this sounds familiar, you may be suffering from Jet Lag!

Well, those days are over; you don’t have to suffer with this problem if you are willing to do a little preparation.

Step 1
Begin to prepare a week or so before you are going to travel. If you are entering a time zone that is ahead of yours, then start going to bed earlier and rise earlier, if possible. If you are “going back in time” do the reverse. Try 30 minutes to start and then increase to an hour or more. This will reduce the time difference from your current sleeping times to that of your destination and so reduce Jet Lag.

Step 2
A few days before your trip cut down on your intake of salts, fats caffeine and sugar; eat more fresh fruits and vegetables.

Step 3
Set your watch to your destination time as soon as you start traveling.

Step 4
Wear comfortable clothing so as not to restrict blood circulation and deter your ability to sleep.

Step 5
During long flight, get up and walk around every hour or two. This will help improve circulation and help prevent muscle stiffness.

Step 6
If you are travelling at night, try to sleep.

Step 7
If you are travelling during the day, when you arrive at your destination, stay awake as long as you can; even if it is night time at home. If it is the middle of the night when you arrive try and sleep or at least rest, even if you are not tired.

Step 8
Go for a walk out side when you arrive. Daylight is a great help to recover from a long trip and will help reset you body clock to the correct time zone. Exercise is also of great benefit and may increase your energy levels, stopping you from feeling so sluggish.

Step 9
Avoid sleeping in late the day after you arrive. Start the first day of your trip in the correct time zone. If you are really exhausted, have a short snooze in the afternoon but then force yourself to get up and moving.

Step 10
Do not compare the destination time with that back home whilst you are traveling. I have known many who have kept their watch on home time and this has caused more then its fair share of problems. Keep your mind focused on the current time at your destination, and eat, drink and sleep accordingly.

A couple of other Tips & Warnings

Do not drink excessive alcohol whilst flying as the affects are heightened, which will increase your chances of Jet Lag.

Drink lots of water whilst flying, this will reduce any dehydration and some effects of Jet Lag.

If you continue to suffer from Jet-Lag, visit the local pharmacy and see what advice or medication they can offer.

If you are still not quite able to wrap your head around “No Jet Lag While Traveling” take a few moments to watch this video from YouTube; “How to Avoid Jet Lag.”

This is a fun video by Howcast, with a couple bonus suggestions.

It is well worth the watch.

If you have any stories or questions about jet lag and would like to share or any travel related themes you would like to discuss; send them off to us. We will read the all and post our favourites.

For the past months, I’ve have been spending quite a bit of time in Europe more specifically Germany. I have to say, the more time I spend, the more fascinated I have become with this country.

I recently attended a festival, the Elspe Festival to be precise, which is based on a series of books written by a German author Karl May in the 1890s. These books are the story of the American West in the 1800’s, and one of the lead characters is a North American Indian by the name of Winnetou.

The concept of this festival is based around this series of books, and for this reason alone the festival is worth the visit. Even thought the author had not visited the United States before writing his first couple of Winnetou books, as an amateur historian I think there may be more truth to his stories then in some of the history books I have read.

The festival, which has been around for over fifty years, was highlighted with a two hour, intense, live action recreation of one of the books story lines and included a cast of around fifty performers’s and lots of horses. The audience of about one thousand were made up of all ages from 1 month to 100 years and were fully engulfed with the show. It became apparent to me as the show progressed they all knew the story. These books have been part of German culture for well over one hundred years.

Although it was the highlight, this was not the only show of the day. During the festival, there were a number of other performances and acts including an animal trainer who preformed tricks with three dogs, a cat, a chicken and a donkey.

Was fun to watch how this trainer had been able to teach these animals to perform tricks and not be inhibited, even though they were in the presence of what would be in the real world their natural enemies. It was obvious that the trainer had spent countless hours working with these animals so that when he commanded through action or sound, they would react just as he hoped.

It was fun to watch but made me think.

Think of us, the human race and how we are suppose to be the top of the food chain, the most intelligent beings on this earth and how easily we can also be mutilated in the same way.

During the course of my life, I would like to think that my view of the world is a little more open-minded than someone who has not read or researched or had the opportunity to travel our planet.

We see things every day on television or in the movie theatre and in some cases believe what we see. At times, this can be okay if we look at these sources as a pure entertainment, but if this is a significant source of our education, we are in trouble. Even the news outlets have to be viewed objectively. Contrary to what some news media outlets might say, I find most can be jaded to one side or another. With this in mind, I try to get my information from different sources, with different points of view so I gather enough information to make my own opinions and decisions.

As humans, I began to think how better the world might be if we took the time to learn more about each other, our customs, cultures and languages. This might start a better dialogue with each other, not based on mistrust or fear.

While sitting there watching the animal show, I thought that if these animals had the ability to see the bigger picture and do a little research they could probably source out the bag of treats the trainer was using to motivate them and when he was not looking eat as many as they want, without going through the motions.

I have to admit, even though I like to think I have an open mind, there are times I slip. I have been trying to learn German, and when I started all I saw were enormous words that seemed impossible to pronounce. After awhile I realized that many of these giant words were smaller words together, and many of those smaller words were remarkably similar to English words.

I suggested this to my instructor, and he informed me that many of the English words I mentioned originated from a German source. This is something I knew but obviously did not register. For thousands of years, we as a human race have been giving and taking from each other to give us what we are today. If this is the case I wonder why today it is so hard, for many of us world wide, to not try to understand each other.

What I have determined is that many of us, as a people are stagnate, in our own little worlds and are uncomfortable with the idea of change, have a fear of the unknown or allow greed to guide our lives.

We live on a small rock in the universe and in the large scheme of things we could be rated insignificant. But this is our rock, and we are fortunate that we have so much we can appreciate and offer to each other. We should not let this opportunity slip through our fingers.

I beseech you to read, read newspapers, surf websites, read books. You will notice that everything I am suggesting is plural. You cannot read one newspaper, one article, look at one website, read one book and know for a fact that everything is 100% accurate. Review a number of sources, integrate the data and then make up your own opinion. Learn about your neighbours, not only next door but the next continent. Don’t be afraid, with every second that passes and every breath we take, our lives are evolving. Appreciate and grow with the experience. Don’t be a trained animal.

This post might sound like a message to get you to travel and if that is what you get from listening…Great! If this is of interest visit us at Rhapsody Tours and we will help show you the world.

If not, I hope this may have enticed you to ask some questions.

If you have any stories, questions or events about cultural awareness and would like to share or for that matter any travel related themes you would like discussed; send them off to us. We will read the all and post our favorites.

We would love to see any comment or tips you may have and I encourage you to subscribe below.

In over two decades in the tour and travel industry one question I’ve been asked over and over again is; should I buy travel insurance before leave a trip? This is an extremely important question to ask before going any trip and I will never give a yes or no answer, instead I will suggest that you answer the following question.

Are you independently wealthy with money available at your fingertips?

Travel insurance may not be of concern to you. But if the idea a situation may arise on your trip that could cost you anywhere from a few hundred to thousands of dollars make you break into a sweat, you may want to consider travel insurance. If you fall into the second category and decide to purchase travel insurance I have a few questions you should ask to ensure you buy the best insurance package for you.

Travel insurance, for those who do not know, is an insurance that an individual would purchase in order protect themselves against some of the risks that could happen while traveling and in most cases are only valid for certain time frame or the period of your trip. Over the years I’ve had the privilege of conducting hundreds tours even though no one plans to encounter problems while away from home, it does happen.

Travel insurance policies basically cover three areas:

trip cancellation protection

medical coverage and

medical evacuation

There is also baggage delay or loss, trip delay and accidental death. Of course no policy will cover everything so it’s important to be clear on the coverage that you may or may not decide to obtain. A broad range of coverage for reasonable price is ideal. Another question you may wish to consider, is my travel health insurance premiums tax-deductible? This varies considerably from country to country but is worth checking out.

Other questions to ask include:

If I get sick while traveling doesn’t the government health plan, credit card or work benefits pay for all my medical expenses?

Will the travel insurance pay for my expenses if or when I am on a business trip or vacation and am called home for an emergency?

I’m only going to be out of the country for a few days. You really need travel insurance?

I am over 60 and have a few health problems. Is it possible for me to purchase travel insurance?

When should I purchase travel insurance?

My spouse is traveling with me. Do I need separate coverage for him or her?

I really need to read my travel insurance booklet?

I have heard that hospitals and medical bills outside my country can easily run into thousands of dollars, even on traveling on a business trip. Do I need to pay up front if I had an accident or am sick while traveling abroad?

Do I need medical insurance when traveling in my own country?

Why would I need trip cancellation or interruption insurance?

By asking and answering these few questions is a start in the right direction.

A couple of these questions I’ve had issues with myself while traveling, I’ve arrived on location five different times without my luggage. Four of the times fortunate I was fortunate in my luggage showed up within a day. The fifth occasion was the beginning of the trip and my luggage did not catch up to me for a week and a half. I was extremely grateful to have insurance coverage in that circumstance.

The other issue I had a little more serious. I was on tour in the United States when I started to feel major discomfort in my chest. I contacted my family doctor in Canada, told the symptoms and he told me to get my tail directly to a hospital. I did and was told by the admissions person that I was required to pay $10,000 before anyone would look at me.

I know I could have looked for another hospital but to be honest during that research at that time was not high on my priority list. I instead was able to find another tour director to take over my tour in late that afternoon I flew home toCanada.

I spent the next 11 days in hospital.

It was suggested to me that if I’d stayed in theUS hospital it would have cost to me at least a half million dollars, probably more. That was early in my Tour Directing career and I did not have the appropriate travel insurance. I’m not saying the United States is the only place this could happen happen, I have seen similar events take place in Mexico and Chile, and I’ve heard many other comparable stories worldwide.

As far as trip cancellation or interruption insurance, remember the Iceland volcano? Two years running. Similar events can happen anywhere.

Bottom line, travel insurance is a smart option for people who are traveling and it can protect you against medical emergencies, cancellations, country evacuations and emergencies that may impede your travel plans.

In order to receive the best coverage possible at the most competitive price, it is important and worthwhile to spend time researching. If you have a trusted insurance agent, contact them and asked them to answer your questions.

Another option would be to visit Rhapsodytours.net and click on the travel insurance button. This will bring it to a Travel Insurance Center where you can use a policy picker to choose the items of protection that best suits you, compare with different companies, and receive a quote before making any commitment. If nothing else this gives you an idea of the prices you should consider. No matter how you research, just make sure you do research.

This should be near to top of your list of things to do for your trip.

If you have any stories, questions or events about travel insurance and would like to share or for that matter any travel related themes you would like discussed; send them off to us. We will read the all and post our favorites.

Cheaper airline flights, they are on every body’s wish list but how do we find them? In this podcast I will share ideas that you can use.

As a veteran of many years in the tour industry I have travelled with individuals who prefer to arrange their own flights when booking a tour and others who would rather have the flight included as part of the tour package.

There are two schools of thought of which way are better and I have found it boils down to a personal choice and based on your own circumstances.

The benefit to having your flight is included in the tour package is that it is one-stop shopping. For one fee, everything is taken care of for you, including in many packages, airport transportation to and from your hotels. In most cases this can work quite well but at times there can be a downside. There are situations in which you do not have a choice of your flight itinerary, causing your routing to be skewed with crazy departure and arrival hours. These situations are quite often next to impossible to change.

The alternative is to book your flight, you do have to spend time doing your own research or go through a travel agent but this in most cases ensures you get the routing you desire set to your own schedule and at times a more favourable price. You may also have the opportunity to use points from airline reward programs.

With the inconsistency of airline schedules the last year couple of years the second option seems to becoming more popular.

How do you find the deals when booking flights?

I’m going to share with you some techniques I’ve used over the years to find more desirable flights and prices.

Over the last year or two I’ve done my fair share of flying and have refined my methods of making sure that I always get the best flight for my needs available. I wish I could tell you “there was only one service you need use,” but in reality it doesn’t work that way. Since there are so many variables at play, for best results you have to research a number of sites. So how do you get the best airfare?

Travel Agent

If you have the trusted travel agent it might be worth it to check with them first. Travel agents make their living by finding good deals for customers and while there is great information available on the Internet, the agents have not all gone out of business and can still provide value.

Internet

If you wish to find your own flight you have to be willing to put in little time; research is the key and being comfortable with the Internet will be most beneficial.

A great way to increase your overall knowledge of travel research would be to start by signing up for one or more of the available online newsletters, provided by travel agencies and airlines. As well as increasing your general travel knowledge it could make you aware of special deals before such information is on general release.

Know What You Want.

When you want to arrive at your destination, and when you’d like to depart. If possible prepare to be flexible and don’t limit your options.

For example

If you are planning a long haul, or international travel, it could well be a good idea to consider splitting the trip into separate flights. You will have to factor in longer travel time and will possibly fly further, but it really could make significant savings. Ensure your stopover does not involve an overnight stay as any savings from your flight might be eaten up from staying in a hotel.

Before you start your research it is best to search the Internet and familiarize with the different types of booking sites and companies that fall under each category.

Aggregators:

These are historically the best bets. They check airfares for many different airlines and do not charge a fee.

Examples include:

Kayak

Skyscanner

Yahoo Travel

Bing Travel Booking Engines:

They check multiple websites and take a small fee in addition to the price of the flight. Examples include:

Travelocity

Orbitz

Expedia

Cheaptickets

Hotwire

Priceline

Mobissimo

Most airlines have websites with their own booking options.

Examples include:

Airtran

Alaska

AmericaWest

American Airlines

AirCanada

Continental Frontier

Jet Blue Northwest

Sun Country

Southwest

Spirit

U.S.Airways

United Airlines

Westjet

Most Other Airlines International Travel:

Vayama

SkyScanner

Momondo

Other Options

Budget airlines

Budget airlines such as Irelands Ryanair, commonly have “Promotional Flight Sales” or free ‘flights sales’ (technically $1 or $2 or£1) to build up a customer base. Of course taxes and other charges are extra but the deals can still be sweet.

Charter flights

It is worth checking charter airlines and travel agents, and just asking them for top last-minute charter deals.

Charter flights are pre booked flights provided by package holiday companies to ferry their passengers. If you’re headed to a traditional package holiday destination, you may be able to find one super-cheap.

As the operator books the whole plane, there’s occasionally spare capacity, which they can offer very cheaply to flight-only customers (it’ll only go to waste if unsold).

Do remember that the absolute cheapest flight may well be like the Holy Grail, and not actually available. Once you have found a flight, which is acceptable in terms of cost, you could be well advised to book it, because the volatile nature of flight costing could mean that if you delay too long, you lose the deal.

I hope this has given you ideas on how to start research and that you will enjoy the satisfaction of finding your own flight treasures.

If you have any stories, questions or events about cheaper flights and would like to share or for that matter any travel related themes you would like discussed; send them off to us. We will read the all and post our favorites.